


A Place to Call Home

by Vixen13



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Because of course he does, Drug Withdrawal, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, I don't know the meaning of flowers, I repeat, M/M, Multiple times, My roommate threw stuff at me over it, Painter!Victor, Pole Dancing, Slow Burn, That's right, These tags are out of control, You Have Been Warned, Yurio is an underage prostitute, actual communication skills between the boys, also, also everyone lived close to each other just because, because I'm American and can't write Japanese or Russian culture to save my life, but let's pretend I do, chris owns a male strip club, flowershop!Yuuri, prostitue!Yurio, there will be some overlapping milestones with the show, there will be talk of underage sex but no scenes, this is a strange mix of fluff and dark plot points, this takes place in japanerica?, wait, what?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-04 16:00:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10282637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixen13/pseuds/Vixen13
Summary: Yuuri runs his own flower shop and is happy at his independence. However, he's desperate to get more clients and contracts to keep his shop afloat. Thankfully, Minako got him an interview with a big company in order to provide weekly arrangements. Yuuri was nervous enough as it was before finding out he was interviewing with CEO's son. But finding out that said person was the famous artist Victor Nikiforov who hadn't painted a new piece in years? The very Victor that had inspired Yuuri's love of flowers? Well, that was just a little too much to handle.Little did Yuuri know that the chance meeting was just the beginning. The whirlwind that is Victor swept through Yuuri's life and turned everything upside down. Despite his anxiety over the changes his life is experiencing, maybe this is exactly what Yuuri needs:The bright burst of colorsThe smell of flowers and paintThe noise of new companionsAnd a place to call home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Me to me: Don't you dare post this when you've been working on it forever and haven't even gotten that far!  
> Also me: o.o ....... *posts*
> 
> Anywho, I'll do my best to work on this more consistently, but I really wanted to get it out there. I legit started this back during episode 7 and then set it aside to work on other stuff. Which was super fun since I didn't even know the pole dancing thing was gonna happen. I wish you coulda seen the look on my face. XD
> 
>  **Warning!** Story will contain talk of the following: underage sex, underage prostitution, drug use, drug withdrawal, strippers, possible eventual triad when Yurio turns 18 (this was the original plot until Otabek happened, now I'm conflicted). I will not be writing any underage sex scenes, but they _will_ discuss these topics.
> 
> Rating will likely change. Yurio won't be in the story for a few chapters. Smut in later chapters. Will tag appropriately when that happens.

At the age of twenty-three, Yuuri decided he wanted to make his own way in life. His family’s flower shop was looking to expand to a location nearer to the big city. So Yuuri all but begged them to let him run it himself. They agreed and left the management of the place up to him.

The shop was multi-level with a basement for storage, a large main floor for the shop, and an upstairs loft apartment. There was even an extra room where the attic space had been converted to a small second bedroom. It was everything Yuuri could have asked for in order to start his life over.

However, Yuuri was not known for his confidence or his ability to make new acquaintances easily. Though he was polite to customers, getting new contracts for larger orders was something he struggled at. Even being so close to the city, Yuuri ended up surviving on any overflow orders the main shop could give his store. It was a heavy reality check as to why Yuuri had relied on his family for so long.

His luck changed when Minako managed to get him an interview with a large company. They wanted weekly flower arrangements for their lobby, which could be changed out after the flower shop’s regular hours. Hopeful, Yuuri gathered up his sample photos and headed off to the meeting.

The place was huge and the lobby was extravagant. It was a marketing firm that took on all sorts of businesses. Perhaps if Yuuri got the job, he could look into hiring them to help promote his shop. Maybe they’d give him enough of a discount that he could afford it. Maybe.

The receptionist gave him instructions to the office he would need. Apparently the CEO’s son was handling this directly. Yuuri thought that was odd, but mostly he found it intimidating. By the time he made it to the right place, he was trembling with nerves, gripping onto his notebook for dear life. The secretary gave him a friendly smile and told him to take a seat as she called for her boss.

Yuuri stared at the patterned carpet as he tried to remember how to breathe. The carpet blurred and tilted in his vision. His anxiety was getting out of control. He needed to keep it together. It didn’t matter who it was interviewing him, he would still be able to do the job. No need to panic. No need to-

“Katsuki Flowers?”

“Ah!” Yuuri jerked and realized there were two shiney shoes on the floor in front of him. Looking up the well tailored suit, his eyes locked with a bright blue-green gaze framed by silver hair. “Y-yes!”

The person gave a charming smile, seemingly aware of the effect his good looks had on others. “My name is Victor Nikiforov and I’ll be conducting the interview. Follow me.”

Stiffly, Yuuri rose and followed the man into the office. His mind was going a mile a minute. That name sounded so familiar but he couldn’t place it. When the door to the office shut, something caught Yuuri’s eye. Turning to look, Yuuri froze in shock, the breath leaving him in an instant.

On the wall was a still life painting of a vase of flowers. Yuuri knew that painting. It had won the national juniors still life competition years ago. As if possessed, Yuuri walked closer to it and confirmed that it really wasn’t a print. That was the original. However, that didn’t make sense. The artist said he would never sell his first winning piece. That meant-

Yuuri’s head whipped back around to gape at Victor. “You’re _that_ Victor! The artist!”

Victor looked surprised and then pleased. “I am! I didn’t know you were a fan.” He chuckled and walked over to stand by Yuuri and admire the painting. “I made this back when painting was my entire life.”

“But in your last interview you said that painting would always be your life.”

Turning his head, Victor raised his eyebrows at Yuuri, a playful grin tugging at his lips. “So more than just a fan?”

Yuuri blushed. “I-I wasn’t going to go into the family business. But when I saw your art, the way you portrayed the emotions of the flowers with your brush, I wanted to replicate that feeling.”

Fumbling, Yuuri opened up his portfolio to the page he was most proud of and held it out for Victor whose eyes went wide. “These are all arrangements of my paintings…” His finger trailed down to a picture near the middle of the page. “How did you get the petals to float like that?”

“Clear wire.”

Victor grinned. “You are very talented.”

Yuuri was being praised by Victor himself. He could die happy now. “Th-th-thank you.”

There was a pause as Victor turned the page and looked at Yuuri’s recent arrangements. “These are all your designs?”

“Yes. I came up with them myself.”

Those long fingers trailed over outlines of the flowers. “It makes me miss my brush.”

“Wh-Why did you stop?”

Bright eyes flicked up to lock eyes with Yuuri. “My father, mostly. He couldn’t abide me devoting my life to painting instead of something more lucrative like the company. I promised myself I would continue to do both, but…”

“You haven’t submitted a piece in three years.” Yuuri breathed out. “And you cut your hair.”

Victor chuckled. “A bit of stalker, aren’t you?”

Yuuri turned bright red. “N-no! I-I was just a fan! I was so inspired by your work! So I always checked to see if- But I understand that you- You haven’t done an interview in-”

“Hush, hush.” Victor laughed. “I’m only teasing you.” He looked back down at the book, slowly flipping the pages and absorbing all that was there. “You are an artist in your own right.”

“No! I just arrange them.”

“You do more than that. You tell poems with the meanings of the flowers you use. But you are already aware of that.”

Again, Yuuri’s face heated in a blush. Nobody had ever caught onto that before. Victor tilted his head up to gaze at his own painting once more. He stared at it for a long time before speaking again.

“Your art would be lost in the cavern of this place, much as mine is on this expressionless wall…”

“Um… I can make a larger arrangement?”

With a bright smile, Victor snapped the notebook closed and handed back to Yuuri. “I am afraid not. You are not a good fit for this company.”

Yuuri felt his heart drop to his shoes in disappointment. “But… If you could just let me know what you are looking for.”

“Mmm,” Victor tapped a finger to his lips. “I believe that would ruin your magic.”

“...What?”

“Shoo shoo! Out you go before this place corrupts you!” Victor said happily, bodily directing Yuuri out the door.

“But… I…” Yuuri turned around on the other side of the doorway, determined to give this one more shot.

“It was a pleasure to meet you…” Victor dragged out the last word, waiting on a response.

“Yuuri.”

“ _Yuuri_.” Victor purred and Yuuri felt his gut clench at the way his name was said. “May we meet again one day.” With a wink, Victor closed the door.

~*~

“He sounds like an ass.” Minako said as she refilled Yuuri’s drink.

“No…” He pouted, his head propped in his hand. “He was really nice.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out, Yuuri.”

“No… _I’m_ sorry. You did a lot to get me that interview and I blew it by being such a crazed fan.”

“He should have been flattered! It’s okay. We’ll find you someplace better.” She gave him a comforting smile.

“Thank you.” He attempted to smile back.

“Yuuri!” Chris slid into the seat next to him, one hand copping a feel on Yuuri’s butt cheek. “If you need some extra cash, I can help you out! Oh, what the people would pay to see this lovely bottom in action.”

“Eee!” Yuuri did his best to squirm out of Chris’ reach. “I would really be a bad choice, Chris. I promise you that.”

Minako burst out laughing. “Every time I try to imagine Yuuri stripping, it gets to me!” She slapped her hand on the bar top in her her mirth and wiped a tear from her eye.

Yuuri frowned. “You don’t have to be _that_ amused by it.”

“Don’t worry, Yuuri!” Chris encouraged. “I have some wonderful performers! They can show you the ropes.”

“No, really. It’s fine.” Yuuri waved his hands in front of him in haste.

Christophe managed the male strip club next to Minako’s bar. Why he thought Yuuri was a good fit for that was a mystery. Yuuri was well aware of his lack of charms and sensuality. Just because Minako had taught Yuuri ballet most of his life and given him a decent amount of flexibility because of it, didn’t make Yuuri capable of such… dancing.

“Ah, well. Let me know if you change your mind.” Chris said as he took his drink.

“Let me know if you ever need any arrangements for your business.” Yuuri said just as politely.

“I’m still trying to talk the owner into it. She seems to think fake flowers are fine.”

“Well, given that it’s a bunch of drunk people focused on the dancers and not the decor…” Minako couldn’t help but agree.

Chris nodded and Yuuri sighed. He really needed to find a decent contract with a business. Or at least build a professional relationship with a wedding planner so he could get in on the wedding contracts. The problem was, talking to Victor had been the most confident Yuuri had felt in a long time. And look how that worked out.

Downing his drink, he pushed it back towards Minako. “Another.” He mumbled.

“As long as you can still get up in the morning! You are your only employee.”

That seemed to jinx him as Yuuri found himself waking up with a hangover and not much memory of the rest of the night. And it was true, there was nobody else to open the shop. Since there wasn’t much business, Yuuri couldn’t afford to hire anyone.

So getting dressed, taking some painkillers, and grabbing some water, Yuuri stumbled his way downstairs to pull the curtains of the shop. The sun was painful and blinding and he moaned at it. Squinting such as he was, he entirely missed the person standing outside until they knocked on the window, causing Yuuri to jump clean out of his skin.

Lifting up his glasses, he scrubbed at his eyes and peeked again through the window into the morning light. It wasn’t even time for him to open yet. Who would be-

“VICTOR?!”

“Yuuri!” Came the muffled voice through the window accompanying Victor’s happy wave.

Rushing over the the door, Yuuri quickly unlocked it and ran out into the still chilly morning air. “Wha-what!” With a bark, a poodle launched itself at him and started excitedly greeting Yuuri. “What? Dog? Hi.”

“Aww! Makkachin likes you!” Victor cooed. “That’ll make things easier.”

Yuuri’s head snapped up to look back at Victor. “Make what easier?”

“Us moving in.” Victor smiled as he leaned against his stack of suitcases.

“... _What_?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue outro music!  
> https://youtu.be/-Onv0V1UIps


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also shouldn't immediately post the second chapter when I'm still currently in the process of writing the third, but I have no chill. @.@

Victor was walking around the shop, looking at everything with a critical eye, one finger tapping against his lips. Makkachin was happily sitting by Yuuri’s feet. Yuuri himself was sitting on a stool by the counter, his hands running nervously over his pants to dry their constant sweating. He just couldn’t understand why Victor was here or what the man was doing.

“I have some ideas.” Victor gave a single nod as if something had been decided. “Tell me. Where do you live?”

“Um… Upstairs.”

“Wonderful!” Victor said happily. “A short commute!”

“Victor… Wha-What do you mean moving in?”

“I’m going to live with you! Not just for free, of course. In return, I’m offering my services.”

“Services?”

“Marketing!” Victor gave his most charming smile.

“Eh?”

“We’re going to make you the most popular flower shop the city has ever known!”

“Eh?! But you didn’t even want to hire me!”

“You weren’t a good fit for my father’s business.”

“I can’t be picky about orders!” Yuuri complained.

“You can if you’re the most wanted flower shop in town.” Victor winked.

“But… I’m not.”

“You shall be!” Victor walked over to his stack of luggage. “Now, show me where I will be staying.”

Resigned, Yuuri went to help by picking up a couple of the bags. “What about your job?”

“You are my job.” Victor replied as they started climbing the stairs.

“I mean… At the company.”

“Ah! I’m a freelance worker now.”

“You quit?!” Yuuri whirled around in shock.

Victor just smiled pleasantly. “Yes! And I am homeless now because of it. Won’t you be so kind as to give me and Makkachin a place to stay?” He pouted out his lower lip.

“Ah…” What was Yuuri to say to that? Turning back around he finished climbing the stairs into his loft.

“Oh! How quaint!” Victor said happily as he observed the room. “And sky lights! I just love natural light.”

“Yes…” Yuuri mumbled as he set the bags down in a corner.

“Hmm…” Victor paced around a few places contemplatively before standing in a single spot and propping his hands on his hips. “I will set up here!”

“Set up?” But Yuuri didn’t have to wait long for that answer as Victor quickly started unpacking art supplies. “You’re going to paint?”

“Yes! I need you to make me an arrangement for reference. Put your feelings into it.”

“But…”

“Quickly! Shoo shoo!”

Not knowing what else to do, Yuuri fell into autopilot and walked back down the stairs and into his workspace. What was even happening right now? If he put his feelings into an arrangement it would be… Confusion. Defeat. Awe. Annoyance. What would that arrangement even look like?

So Yuuri just started grabbing flowers, single mindedly focused on not thinking about how weird things were and instead just creating. It was nice to be able to pour his feelings into something like this. Not having to worry about whether or not a customer would like it or if it could sell. He just wanted to create something that would get his feelings across to Victor who steamrolled over Yuuri’s hesitations before he could even voice them.

The end result was jagged, but with spots of soft beauty. Tiny fuzzy flowers framed it to give off a feeling of surrealism. The colors didn’t exactly match, but that was half the point. Yuuri suspended a single glittering jewel off center of the middle, watching how it caught the light and cast tiny rainbows on the arrangement.

“Perfect,” Victor said with confidence.

Yuuri looked over to find the man leaning against the door and watching. He wasn’t sure how long Victor had been there silently watching Yuuri’s single minded concentration. Despite the oddness of the arrangement, Victor seemed happy with it.

“Your creations are highly expressive. They’re inspiring.”

The complement caused Yuuri to blush, but also to feel guilty since the hodgepodge arrangement didn’t deserve such praise. “You don’t have to coddle me.”

Victor have Yuuri a searching look. “Why do you assume expressing yourself in your work is a bad trait?”

The question stunned Yuuri. Nobody had ever said something like that to him before. It was something he hadn’t even realized about himself, in fact. But there it was. As if Victor had just stared into his soul and read the words of doubt written across it.

Not waiting on Yuuri to try and find an answer, Victor walked over and picked up the arrangement, smiling at it happily. “I shall be in the loft, then. Go about your day as usual!”

Yuuri watched as Victor walked out of sight. What was this, really? Just Victor wanting a vacation? An act of rebellion against his father? Hiding out in a place nobody would look for him just so he could paint again? Surely there were better places to go than Yuuri’s “quaint” flat.

Not to mention, Victor had promised Yuuri compensation by promoting the flower shop. Holing up in the loft all day to paint was _not_ the way to go about that. He sighed. At the very least, he’d be able to see new paintings from an artist he had idolized since childhood. He supposed that was one upside…

~*~

The next week fell into a routine. Victor would paint, sometimes with references that Yuuri made, sometimes without. The loft ended up eternally smelling of paint and flowers, though Yuuri found he didn’t entirely mind it. He also rather enjoyed that he had someone to share a meal with. They split cooking and dishes between the two of them. It was oddly domestic, but pleasant.

Victor stayed in the extra bedroom and never once complained about its small size, even though his suitcases and art supplies took up nearly all of the space. Yuuri wanted to offer the option of buying a few things to help maximize the storage space, but stopped himself. That would be Yuuri saying that he expected Victor to stay. Part of Yuuri wanted that, but part of Yuuri wanted his privacy back. Besides, wouldn’t it look needy if he said something like that to Victor? Being a crazed fan was what got him into the situation in the first place. In a weird way.

Makkachin would go back and forth between Victor and Yuuri’s bed, whichever person was not flailing around as much in their sleep. Yuuri was quickly getting used to sleeping with the bundle of fluff. Which was bad. He shouldn’t get too attached to someone else’s dog, but he couldn’t help it. He had always wanted a dog and Makkachin was the perfect pet. Never once getting in trouble and always doing as told.

Yuuri also enjoyed the excuse to go running with the dog. Saying that it was for Makkachin’s benefit helped motivate Yuuri to run in the first place. Victor usually joined them. He seemed to enjoy the exercise which mildly annoyed Yuuri since he had such a hard time making himself do it in the first place.

Though it was slightly depressing that Victor didn’t seem to be doing anything to help promote Yuuri’s business, Yuuri decided not to let that bother him. After all, it wouldn’t have been any different if Victor hadn’t shown up on Yuuri’s doorstep. So Yuuri did his best to look on the upside of things, which was that he got to see Victor’s process in creating art. Victor sometimes even created his own colors with Yuuri’s plants.

Really, the only major downside - which Yuuri often had to argue with himself that it _was_ indeed a downside - was Victor’s skinship. Victor was a hugger, and a toucher, and a talker. He wanted to know about the people he became friends with intimately and immediately. He had no awareness of a personal bubble. Or modesty. 

Victor was very comfortable in his own skin which Yuuri had almost _died_ over the first time Victor wandered out of the shower, soaking wet, asking where the towels were. The man also slept naked and would often walk around in only a loosely tied robe late at night or first thing in the morning. Yuuri had absently wondered if his face was now a permanent shade of red.

Victor also seemed to have an obsession about pushing Yuuri’s personal boundaries. Yuuri didn’t open up to people easily, it made him very uncomfortable. Not to mention he liked his space. It was one of the reasons he’d been so happy to move out and into a place of his own. Victor seemed determined to destroy Yuuri’s introvert tendencies.

_“Yuuri! Let’s smell this flower together!”_

_“Yuuri! Let me check your hair for split ends.”_

_“Yuuri! Tell me about your love life.”_

_“Yuuri! Let’s have a slumber party!”_

Never in Yuuri’s wildest dreams could he have imagined that the day would come for him to have to physically shove his childhood idol out of his bed. And yet, here he was. Living one of the strangest experiences of this life thus far.

Even Minako seemed to agree that Victor was just doing this as a way to escape the stress of corporate life and hide from his father. Yuuri wished that Victor would just be honest about it. At least then Yuuri could stop fretting over it.

Things went from bad to worse on Yuuri’s only day off for the week. Victor hummed and tapped a finger to his lips as he studied Yuuri. The smaller man had learned quickly that meant trouble and he nervously eyed Victor because of it. Yuuri visibly flinched when Victor’s face split into a wide grin.

“Do you know what brings people into a flower shop?”

“Uh… Flowers?”

“Sex appeal!”

Yuuri blinked. “What?”

“You need to be confident and flirtatious! Give your fans what they desire. Hint at what you could do to them and leave them wanting more.”

“I don’t have any fans.” Yuuri argued in a tiny voice.

Victor ran his fingers down Yuuri’s face with a sultry smile. “Oh, you will! But first, you must learn to move your body in a sensual manner. Thankfully, I know just the person to turn to.”

And that was how Yuuri finally ended up inside Christophe’s club.

“How is this going to help anything?!” Yuuri flailed around in a panic.

“Victor!” Chris called happily as he walked over to them. “I had no idea your friend was a mutual acquaintance.”

“Yuuri!” Victor gasped. “I had no idea we shared such taste in establishments.”

“We don’t!” Yuuri said a little too loud.

Chris laughed. “Yuuri is long time friends with the bar owner next door. That is why we see each other so often.”

“I see, I see.” It sounded like Victor was trying to force himself to be happy through his disappointment. That rather annoyed Yuuri since they were both acting like not going to a strip club was something weird. Yuuri was the normal one here, damn it!

“I don’t see any point to this! I am _not_ going to get on stage!” Yuuri complained.

“No, no!” Victor assured with a smile. “You will just be taking classes.”

“Classes?”

“For pole dancing.”

“To sell flowers.”

“Precisely!” Victor looked pleased that Yuuri was on the same page even though Yuuri most certainly was not on the same page.

“It’s a good workout at least!” Chris grinned. “Private session and at no cost to you. There’s even a chance you might learn something from the experience. What do you have to lose?”

Yuuri sighed and his shoulders slumped in defeat. It was pointless arguing. They would just keep trying to push him even if he did and Yuuri was terrible under pressure. “Fine…”

Victor clapped his hands. “Wonderful!”

The back of the club had a small open area with a pole available for warmup. The walls were dark and the recessed lighting was dim. Thankfully, the three of them were the only people there. Chris set up a playlist on a bluetooth speaker to provide a rhythm before walking up onto the podium.

“First, let’s test your flexibility with a few positions!” Chris stated happily.

Yuuri sighed in defeat and walked up to next to Chris. The positions weren’t hard. In fact, most of the ballet moves Yuuri knew took far more effort. However, the problem was the execution. Yuuri was used to the poise and dignity of ballet, not the sultry undulating moves Chris was trying to teach.

At one point, Victor walked up and placed a hand on Yuuri’s low back and chin to force the man into the correct position. Yuuri found that being contorted in such a way while being touched was surprisingly intimate and his face flamed at it.

“Don’t worry, Yuuri.” Victor purred. “We will get you used to it.”

It was not okay that Yuuri’s body reacted to that promise while his imagination ran wild. Surely, Victor would be the death of Yuuri.

When the lesson was finally over, Victor declared that it was time to go shopping. He took Yuuri out and started dressing him in slim cut name brand clothes that showed off his figure. Yuuri had never in his life worn such expensive clothing.

“Why are we doing this?” Yuuri asked, looking at himself in the mirror.

“You should look good for your clients!”

“There’s a few problems with that.” Yuuri deadpanned. “I wear an apron that covers this. My job involves dirt and that gets onto your clothes. And most importantly, I don’t have the money for a whole new wardrobe.”

“I can buy you a few things!”

“What?!” Yuuri whirled around in a panic. “No you can’t! I can’t take your money!”

Victor chuckled and draped himself over Yuuri. “It is an investment on your shop!”

“Have you ever done the direct marketing side before or did you just sit in a big fancy office and push around numbers all day?” Yuuri snapped, shoving Victor away.

Immediately, he regretted it. Victor looked hurt for a split second before curiously studying Yuuri. For his part, Yuuri was quickly falling into full blown panic mode. He didn’t deal well with people and this wouldn’t be the first time he’d done something like this when being nagged at by a friend. It was a sure enough sign as any that Yuuri would inevitably ruin everything again.

“I’m going to get changed,” Yuuri muttered and escaped into the dressing room.

He insisted on going back home immediately and hardly spoke a word the entire trip. They didn’t end up purchasing anything. Once back at the shop, Yuuri locked himself away in his workshop long enough to completely skip dinner.

It was stupid trying to avoid Victor. They lived together. But Yuuri didn’t know what to do. Social interaction was not his strong point and Victor trying to force some kind of change in Yuuri just wasn’t going to work.

Yuuri ran his fingers over the arrangement in front of him. It wouldn’t sell. It was a riot of colors and plants that reflected his anxiety. A poem of flowers about his fear of abandonment and fear of his own emotions. He may as well bring it upstairs. It would look out of place in the shop.

It was late by the time Yuuri trudged up the stairs and into the loft. The lights were out, so Victor must have already gone to bed. A single lamp was left on in the main room for Yuuri to see by. He walked over to the table to set the arrangement down on it. That was when he noticed that Victor had left him a covered plate from dinner.

That made Yuuri happy and sad all at once. He picked it up and went to move into the kitchen, but something caught his eye. He almost dropped the plate in shock. Hanging up on the wall was a framed canvas of the first painting Victor had done when he moved in - the arrangement full of Yuuri’s conflicting thoughts.

The flowers on the edges were painted in a more ethereal way, as if the whole thing was some kind of image seen in a dream. There were little pinpoints of painted light that scattered across the picture as well. Seeing it left Yuuri feeling raw and… oddly hopeful.

“I decided it needed to be hung where it could be appreciated.”

Yuuri spun around to see Victor leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room, dressed in only his loose robe. A bit of a smile tugged at one side of his lips and his eyes were almost calculating. Yuuri folded in on himself a bit at the sight. Victor had a bad habit of displaying predatory sex appeal.

“I…” But Yuuri faltered. He still wasn’t sure what to say.

Victor smiled and walked over to take the plate from Yuuri’s hands and place it in the microwave. Next he pulled down a glass and filled it with water. “You must be hungry after working so late!”

“Uh…” Yuuri looked around, desperate for anything to talk about. “Where’s Makkachin?”

“Still asleep, the lazy pup!” Victor chuckled. He pulled the plate out and walked it and the glass of water over to the table. He set it down and patted the chair in front of it. “Come eat!”

Blushing, Yuuri followed orders and sat down with Victor taking the seat next to him. There was a long silence as Yuuri ate, unsure of what to even say. He had hoped that Victor would be asleep and they could have avoided all this. Fate was never in Yuuri’s favor, it seemed.

“Yuuri,” Victor said at last. “I must apologize. I am used to an environment where my directions are followed without question. I blame my father and the terrible position he put me in within the company. I’m sure my methods have seemed confusing to you these past weeks.”

“U-um…” Yuuri put down his fork. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that you are bad at your job.”

“But of course you should!” Victor grinned. “You are not only my client, but my friend. You should question me and keep me in check. But you seem to just go with the flow a little too well.”

“Ah… It’s a character flaw… I guess…”

Victor hummed to himself a bit before suddenly asking. “You are a big fan of my work, yes?”

“Uh… Y-yes!”

“Do you know how much my paintings are going for right now?”

Yuuri nodded. They just kept upping in price since Victor’s hiatus from the painting world. At one point, Yuuri had fantasized about getting everyone he knew to pitch in money and buy him a painting for his birthday. However, it still wouldn’t have been enough to cover the cost of even the cheapest one.

“And what do you think would happen if a single shop became the only place that sold any of my new works? More than that, it sold arrangements based on my paintings that were displayed alongside the piece that hung upon the wall?”

Yuuri’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “That shop would be overrun by the end of the week.”

“There would interviews, would there not? The shop owner must look his absolute best. Must be able to charm the media and the customers in his own special way in order to continue business in the future. For his shop would go down in history as the shop that made arrangements based on the work of Victor Nikiforov.”

“That’s why you’re painting my arrangements,” Yuuri whispered in awe.

“I didn’t want you to panic when you figured out what I was planning.” Victor tilted his head and smiled. “The media is a little too focused on me. The most eligible bachelor in the painting world, I believe they call me. Award winning, good looking, charming, and with a family business worth millions. Your store will be flooded by women. And no small amount of men, to be honest.”

Yuuri blanched. “I’m not good with people!”

“Which is why we shall do this in stages!” Victor chuckled. “We increase your sex appeal, we give you the right look, and we let my presence here spread by word of mouth. We shall hang my paintings and I will help on the shop floor doing sales when the time comes. It will take a little while to get noticed. Plenty of time to get some practice.”

“But…” Yuuri looked down at his hands. “Aren’t you investing a lot into me? I’m sure there are bigger shops out there with owners better suited for this sort of thing…”

“Absolutely not.” Victor sounded so sure of it. He placed gentle fingers along Yuuri’s cheek and turned the man so they could face each other. “You inspire me, Yuuri. I find that to be extraordinarily important.”

Yuuri blushed. He found it completely ridiculous that the man who had inspired his love of flowers for so long would be saying that the feeling was mutual. Yet, Victor’s eyes were so sincere. For the first time, Yuuri felt like things might actually start to get better in his life.

“Then… I’m in your care.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, thoughts and impressions so far? Are you interested? Should I continue to pour my time into this really really really long story? x.x


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I really should have waited to post things until AFTER I moved. I am so busy and so exhausted from packing and cleaning and packing and cleaning... T.T
> 
> Anywho.
> 
> This chapter does a lot of time jumps as I'm trying to push things towards the main plot. I also wanted to delve further into Yuuri's thought process that was hinted at during the beach scene in the show. So, I hope you enjoy the characterization I'm setting up for these two. heh

Two brand new and authentic Victor Nikiforov paintings hung upon the wall of Yuuri’s shop. In front of each was a small table with a single arrangement that matched the painting. After setting it up, Yuuri had taken pictures of it just to prove to himself later in bed that it was real and that it all was happening.

The past few weeks had been a string of new experiences. Yuuri had new clothes, a new hairstyle, new glasses, and a new diet and exercise routine. He had a new understanding of how to move in all the right ways to promote sex appeal. There were even new aprons made that suited his skin tone and framed his body _just so_.

It felt like putting on a performance, but Yuuri found that acting in such a way was oddly comforting. It was a new way to wear a mask in front of people and hide himself away. He would have felt guiltier about that had it not been for the fact that during off hours, Victor was slowly hacking away at Yuuri’s defenses.

Yuuri had become somewhat inured to Victor’s penchant for nudity and skinship. More and more lately, Yuuri found himself relaxing into Victor’s side or watching the smooth skin of Victor’s shoulder as the man’s robe slipped further down. Not to mention that hair. The way it glistened and glowed, showing varied nuances of silver depending on the light. More than once, Yuuri found himself struggling with the overwhelming desire to run his hands through it.

To be frank, Victor probably wouldn’t have minded if Yuuri gave in to the impulse. The problem was that Yuuri was afraid of where his mind would go next. With each thing he relaxed and became accustomed to, a bigger challenge was presented, a bigger connection was formed. What happened when their contract was up and Victor went on his way? What happened when Yuuri was attached and Victor flitted off to his next whim?

No. Yuuri refused to let himself be hurt like that. So he valiantly maintained his wall against Victor. They were in a companionable business arrangement. Nothing more.

Right now, they just needed to focus on the shop. Yuuri wasn’t sure how many of his scant customers would actually recognize a Victor Nikiforov painting. They would likely just think it was a cute decorative idea. Nobody would come in just to see a random painting of flowers in a flower shop, no matter how beautiful it was.

What they _would_ come for was the very dashing new worker sweeping at nothing outside the shop. Victor had snagged his fair share of gawkers already, drawing them into easy and flirtatious conversation and then giving them wide hopeful eyes as he asked if they wanted to buy something. By noon, Yuuri had already doubled his expected sales goal for the day.

By the end of the day, Yuuri had his own group of gawkers and had no idea how to handle it. Many of them were swooning high school students and Yuuri felt entirely unprepared to be on the receiving end of a crush from a gaggle of giggling girls… and one very smitten boy.

“Kenjiro! Come on! We all agreed to leave at the same time!” one of the girls nagged as she drug the still grinning teen away with the rest of the group.

“Bye, Mr. Katsuki!” Kenjiro waved excitedly, his one prominent tooth glinting in the afternoon light.

“Thank you for your patronage,” Yuuri waved back, trying not to look too awkward and likely failing miserably.

“How does it feel to have admirers?” Victor asked with a smirk as he walked up.

“Exhausting.” Yuuri let out a long sigh before looking up at the clock in relief. “It’s closing time.”

“Already?” Victor looked both disappointed and ecstatic at the news. “Time just flew by! Who knew working in a small shop like this would be so much fun?”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Yuuri deadpanned as he walked over and locked the door. “What are you thinking for supper?”

“Let’s go out and celebrate!” Victor replied happily. “My treat!”

By the time they made it home from a restaurant and then Minako’s bar, Yuuri was sleepy and slightly tipsy. He’d been determined not to get drunk, no matter how much Victor offered more drinks. Victor had perhaps drank a little too much himself which made him all the more clingy.

It also seemed to impede his ability to walk up stairs. Yuuri barely got them up into the loft, at which point Victor insisted that he couldn’t continue into the spare bedroom.

“Yuuriiii! Let me sleep down here!”

Yuuri sighed and begrudgingly lead Victor over to the bed. “Fine. I’ll sleep upstairs tonight.”

At least, that had been the plan. However, Victor took hold of Yuuri’s shirt as he fell backward onto the bed, pulling Yuuri down with him. Before Yuuri could scramble back up, Victor had flipped them over and pinned Yuuri to the bed. Blue eyes burned as they looked down at the disheveled Yuuri.

“Do you not like me, Yuuri?” Victor stuck his bottom lip out in a pout.

“W-what?” This was definitely not a good position to be in.

“I like _you_ , Yuuri.” Victor’s voice was low and sultry, almost a purr. Normally, such a voice would make Yuuri nervous, send him into a panic, forget how to speak. However, currently all it did was make him mad.

With more force than necessary, Yuuri pushed Victor off and sent the taller man tumbling to the floor. Victor sprawled there for a moment, seeming entirely unsure of what had just happened. Yuuri glared down at disheveled silver hair, his hands clenching in anger.

“No, you don’t!” Yuuri snapped. “You’re drunk! Go to sleep!”

Victor blinked up at Yuuri, looking far more sober than he had in hours. “You don’t believe me?”

“Oh, I believe you! I believe you want to have some casual fun while you’re drunk and then pretend it never happened!”

Again, Victor blinked up at Yuuri in surprise for a moment before he finally responded, “Why would I pretend it never happened?”

Yuuri wasn’t sure what to make of that. “What?”

“I wouldn’t do all of this for just anyone, Yuuri.” Victor looked completely serious as he moved into a more comfortable position on the floor. “I was desperate to get to know you. I thought I could use the fact that you were such a fan to push the boundaries some.”

“Boundaries?” Yuuri asked, weakly.

Victor spread his hands to indicate the loft. “Living with you.”

“W-why did you want to get to know me?”

A short chuckle escaped Victor’s lips as he tilted his head to the side with a very happy grin, his cheeks still tinged red from the alcohol in his system. “Because I like you!”

Yuuri blushed straight up to his ears. “I don’t understand!” he squeaked.

“Hm?” Victor’s face immediately turned quizzical as he studied Yuuri. “I’m trying to get you to fall for me,” was the matter of fact answer.

“B-but… _Why_?!”

Victor frowned in confusion at the question before his face lit up once more in that overly happy smile of his. “Because I like you!”

“That’s not an answer!”

“It’s not?” Victor looked utterly bewildered.

“Like me how? What do you want from me?”

At that, Victor’s face looked downright predatory. “I want it so you can only look at me.” He shuffled forward, one hand reaching up to trail soft fingers along Yuuri’s wrist. “I want to cover you in kisses and hear you moan my name.”

What Yuuri should not have done was immediately pop a boner, but some things just couldn’t be helped. Despite that, he pulled his hand away and scooted further back on the bed and away from Victor. “And when you’re done?” Yuuri pressed.

Victor tilted his head to one side, eyebrows furrowing. “I’ll wrap you in my arms, of course.”

“Not that!” Yuuri buried his flaming face into his knees. “When you’re done having your fun. What then?”

The bed shifted from Victor’s weight, but Yuuri refused to look up. He needed Victor to just say it - to be honest about what this actually was. Why wouldn’t Victor just admit it? Fingers brushed against Yuuri’s hair and he jumped a little at the feeling.

“Yuuri… I don’t know what you think of me, but I don’t see you as just a passing fancy.” Well, that just made Yuuri sound like the bad guy. Thankfully he didn’t have to come up with a response before Victor was speaking again. “What do you want me to be to you?”

“That’s not fair,” Yuuri mumbled.

“Why?”

“I don’t want you to conform to what you think I’d like best. I want to know what you’re thinking. I want to know who _you_ are and what it is you’re looking for.”

“Nobody’s ever asked me that before.” There was a smile in Victor’s voice that made Yuuri reluctantly raise his head to look. Victor’s smile was soft and full of affection, his eyes trained on Yuuri like he was the most precious thing in the world.

Yuuri swallowed hard, unable to quite process the full force of Victor’s emotions. “Then… will you tell me? What do you want?”

“Life…” Victor whispered. “And love.” Something melancholy and lonely passed through Victor’s eyes, but was hidden just a moment later by the ever present smile Victor seemed to boast. “Can I sleep here tonight, Yuuri?”

“Only sleep,” Yuuri found himself saying before he could stop himself.

“Yay!” In a flurry of clothes, Victor was undressed and snuggled underneath the covers. Yuuri decided to keep his undershirt on in order to have some kind of barrier between them other than Victor’s briefs and Yuuri’s boxers.

The minute Yuuri stretched out under the sheets, Victor curled himself around Yuuri’s awkward and stiff form. Makkachin jumped up on the bed a little while later to curl up by their feet. Yuuri was half convinced he’d never get to sleep given the situation, but inevitably, exhaustion pulled him under.

 

~*~

 

A week was all it took before someone recognized Victor. In a matter of hours, people were entering the shop with the single purpose of seeing if it was really true. They swarmed Victor, asking him an overwhelming amount of questions about where he had been and why he was at Yuuri’s shop. Questions Yuuri himself would love detailed answers to, but wasn’t getting. The public received answers even more vague, though they were inevitably distracted from the mostly evasive remarks by Victor’s charming smile.

Considering Victor had spent the past week curled up in Yuuri’s bed every night, Yuuri felt like he should know the man better than he did. Perhaps Yuuri was being paranoid. He didn’t trust easily and he was always overly concerned with the thoughts and opinions of others. Maybe Victor was being honest and was genuinely just trying to help out a person he had a crush on.

Except that person was Yuuri and Yuuri couldn’t fathom why anyone would go to such lengths for someone like him. A relationship was a give and take, wasn’t it? A partnership. What exactly did Yuuri have to offer? Victor would figure that out eventually and leave…

The shop bell dinged and pulled Yuuri out of his spiral of depressing thoughts. A tall woman with wavy red hair to her chin and an easy smile strolled in, her attentive eyes taking everything in. She grinned at the artwork on the walls before whipping out her camera phone and taking pictures at just the right angles to capture the light. Then she headed straight for Victor, easily melting through the crowd of admirers surrounding the artist.

“Mila!” Victor greeted the woman happily before exchanging a peck on the cheek. “You found me so quickly!”

“You’re all over Twitter right now, Victor.” She winked before easily slipping her arm into his and leisurely pulling him over to the counter where Yuuri stood unobtrusively. The crowd left behind glared at her for stealing Victor away, but she seemed to preen under their jealousy. “To think you’d pop up in a flower shop! Well, I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense.”

“Well, Yuuri’s work is very inspiring! Have you seen some of his arrangements?”

Mila’s eyes slid over to give Yuuri the up and down. “Inspiring indeed,” she noted with a smirk. Yuuri wasn’t sure why, but he blushed in response.

Victor gave Mila a little frown that she found quite amusing before launching into a series of questions Yuuri would have expected to read in a magazine. Victor seemed completely prepared with generic responses that also somehow advertized Yuuri’s business perfectly. Then suddenly both men were being ushered over in front of the nearest painting so Mila could take a picture.

It took Yuuri a few tries to pose somewhat naturally instead of stiff as a board with his arms locked tight against his sides. Victor scolded Yuuri for it, but Mila kept saying it was cute. Yuuri just felt embarrassed. When Mila had the picture saved, she bid her farewells and promised to visit again. Not long after that they were able to close up the shop.

The minute the curtains were pulled Victor let out a long sigh. “I didn’t think Mila would find us so quickly. I underestimated her.”

“Who is she?” They had seemed overly familiar with each other and Yuuri found himself struggling with jealousy over it. He had no right to be jealous… Right?

“She’s a freelance writer. We met in high school when she was on the school newspaper and I was winning competitions. We had an agreement that I would go to her first for any official interviews. It helped kickstart her career. She’s a trusted name now and sells articles to the highest bidder.”

Yuuri’s eyes grew wide in sudden realization. “M. Babicheva? That was her?!” Had he known, he would have been _far_ more nervous than he already was around the woman.

Victor seemed surprised at first that Yuuri knew Mila’s name, but then an amused smile spread across his face. “Such a dedicated fan you are.”

That caused Yuuri to blush straight to his ears. “Wha- I- No-”

“It’s fine! It’s fine!” Victor happily waved off Yuuri’s embarrassment as if it could possibly be brushed aside so easily. “What’s important is that we need another helper in the shop. Do you know anyone?”

“What?” The question effectively threw Yuuri off track. “We still barely have enough business as it is.”

“Right now, but that will be changing - and soon. We’ll need someone on standby. I’m afraid I may not be as much use if we get too crowded.” That was an understatement since Victor didn’t make arrangements or handle the cash drawer at all.

“Um…” Yuuri still wasn’t so sure about bringing in more people he couldn’t pay, but he decided not to argue the point. “I can send a text to a friend. We were roommates in college and he would help out at our shop occasionally during big orders.”

“Perfect!” Victor clapped his hands together happily. “Now! How about we clean up and make some dinner, hmm?”

“Ah… Yes. Sure.” However, before Yuuri could even turn around, Victor was way too close and holding Yuuri’s chin in a light grip. Blue-green eyes bore into Yuuri, effectively keeping him immobile and stealing the breath from his lungs.

“You looked unhappy about how close Mila was to me. What were you thinking, Yuuri?”

“I… I…” Yuuri couldn’t get enough air. His mind was stalled in panic.

“Did you want to be the one on my arm? The one bringing your lips to my cheek?”

Victor’s thumb traveled a ever so slowly along Yuuri’s bottom lip. He was so close, but he didn’t close the distance. He waited. He wanted for Yuuri to respond, to push forward that little bit, but it didn’t happen. Yuuri remained frozen until Victor finally pulled away.

“You can,” Victor said with a bright grin that Yuuri was learning meant that the man was hiding further emotion. “Anytime you want.”

Yuuri swallowed hard, finally snapping out of his trance and immediately backpedaled away. “Ah, I… I’m going to clean something.”

It was a cowardly move, but there was nothing else Yuuri could have brought himself to do at the moment. He was happy, but also terrified. He wasn’t the kind of person who could handle such developments and Victor knew that, damn it! How many times had Yuuri pulled back?

And how many times had Victor kept pursuing?

Was there a limit to Victor’s patience? Maybe, just maybe, if Yuuri were completely honest with himself… he hoped that there wasn’t and that Victor would stay until Yuuri could… Something. Anything other than hiding in fear of the unknown in the face of his greatest idol.

For now, it was best that they focus on the store.

 

~*~

 

Phichit had an absolute fit over Victor being in Yuuri’s shop, as expected. Also as expected, Phichit launched a thousand questions at Yuuri in private about the whole affair. Yuuri wasn’t even sure how to answer them since he’d been asking many of them to himself for days. Phichit seemed far more convinced of Victor’s infatuation than Yuuri was, however.

“You can see it on his face!” Phichit announced excitedly. “He likes you!”

“He smiles like that at everyone…” Yuuri muttered in reply.

After being friends for so many years, Phichit was used to Yuuri’s moods and self doubt. He launched into a long tirade about how amazing Yuuri was that left the older man blushing. If anyone was ever feeling down or lacking in self confidence at all, Phichit was there to help. The man had pulled Yuuri through a lot of bad times over the years.

When Yuuri had called his friend to the shop to help, he thought it would would be an excuse to catch up and have some support against the force of nature that was Victor. However, three days after Mila’s arrival, her article was published and the shop was overrun in a matter of hours. Yuuri was suddenly working overtime well into the night in order to keep up with the massive influx of orders.

Everyone wanted an arrangement based off of Victor’s paintings. The rare few wanted the paintings themselves.

That was when Victor’s second plan came into play. When an offer to buy a painting hit numbers that made Yuuri’s head spin, Victor would agree to sell it. Ten percent of the profits went to Yuuri as what Victor called a “gallery fee.” After that, he’d replace the painting with another and have Yuuri make an arrangement to match. Then the process repeated. Within two weeks, three paintings had been sold. After that, the offers slowed down some, but the arrangement orders did not.

Yuuri had to call in his sister to help with the backorders. Phichit quit his part time job to help at the shop since he was making more money working for Yuuri anyways. Victor did what he could around the shop and even negotiated the contracts for no less than two weddings and three businesses that wanted large weekly arrangements. Yuuri had never been more busy in his life. It felt like he did nothing but work and sleep.

One night as they were cleaning up long after the sun had set, someone started pounding on the door of the shop, angrily yelling loud enough to cause a noise complaint. Yuuri was seriously concerned that the glass was about to break. Was it a rabid fan of Victors? A random drunk? A person on the run from the scene of a crime?

Yuuri could admit his paranoia sometimes got a little out of control. That didn’t stop him from hiding in the backroom and peeking around the corner of the doorframe. Maybe he should call Mari back inside from where she was taking stock. (Not to protect Mari, but ask Mari to protect _him_ , though Yuuri was loath to admit that.)

“I’ll go and look!” Victor announced as he suddenly burst into the room, jogging to the front door like he was somehow helping Yuuri.

“Wait!”

But it was too late, Victor had already unlocked the door and swung it open with a happy greeting. A very angry and lanky blonde delinquent shoved past Victor and into the shop, slamming the door shut behind him. Yuuri winced at the unhappy rattle of the bell that sat atop the door.

“I finally fucking found you, asshole!” The thug declared, shoving his finger into Victor’s chest.

Miraculously, Victor just smiled down at the person. “Yuri! How nice to see you! Did you come to visit?”

Yuuri blinked in shock. What name had Victor just used?

“I didn’t come for a fucking visit!” The small Yuri shouted, his blonde hair seeming to tremble in anger along with the rest of him. “You broke your damn promise!”

“Ah,” Victor said knowingly, but his eyes were rounded and simply blinked at Yuri blankly. It was very obvious that Victor had forgotten all about whatever promise Yuri was speaking of.

“I hate you so much sometimes,” Yuri growled.

“Um…” Yuuri mumbled uncertainly from his position by the doorframe.

“Oh! Yuuri, this is Yuri! Don’t mind his mouth, he’s secretly a good person.” Victor grinned at being able to introduce two people with the same name to each other. Yuri clicked his tongue in disdain, as if Yuuri didn’t deserve to share the namesake. The older Yuuri bristled in annoyance at that, but tried not to let it show.

“ _Haaah_?”

Everyone turned to look at Mari who was walking in with a box of supplies. She set it down and gave Yuri the up and down. “That’s confusing,” Mari stated and then pointed at him with authority. “You’re Yurio.”

“ _What_?!” Yurio snapped as Victor gushed about how perfect of a name it was.

“Why don’t we all get some dinner?” Mari continued. “I ordered pizzas. They just came in.”

“I’m not here to-” but Yurio was cut off by the very sudden and loud growling of his stomach. There was an awkward pause before he glared at everyone in the room. “Feed me!”

“Yes, yes!” Victor replied happily and lead the way upstairs into Yuuri’s loft.

“ _What is happening_?” Yuuri whispered to himself in shock. For once in his life, could Victor just… not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to introduce Yurio prior to ending this chapter. He will be more of a main focus next chapter. We'll also get to see just what kind of promise Victor made in this AU. hehehe
> 
> I feel like things are somewhat rushed at the end, but I've been so busy and I haven't been able to write on this much at all. Sorry guys. @.@ But at least it's done! Here's to hoping I have more downtime soon.

**Author's Note:**

> If you are interested in Spideypool, Yuri on Ice, and random yaoi pictures, hit up my tumblr! :-D  
> http://thatvixenchick.tumblr.com/
> 
> So by popular request, my cats have their own tumblr now. https://vixen13scats.tumblr.com/


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